[TIPS] Taking a Lap

Hosts: Renee Chiuchiarelli & Julie Parks
Published: November 25, 2025
Length: ~10 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

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🎙️ Episode Summary

In this final installment of the Managing a Project series, Renee and Julie close things out with one of the most overlooked — yet most impactful — phases of any project: Taking a Lap.

Whether your project was large and complex or small and focused, how you wrap it up matters. Today’s tips center on:

1️⃣ Celebration & Recognition

The moment a project wraps is the moment to pause and recognize the people who made it possible. Renee and Julie break down practical ways to shine a spotlight on contributors, including:

• Recognition emails (even ghostwritten for leaders)

• Monetary or non-monetary awards

• Shout-outs in staff meetings

• Company swag

• Sharing stories and standout moments

• Formal celebration moments — both virtual and in person

Celebration isn’t superficial — it drives morale, retention, engagement, and team culture.

2️⃣ Lessons Learned

Once the recognition is done, it’s time for reflection:

• What worked really well?

• What slowed things down?

• What would you do differently next time?

• What should future teams know before they repeat the process?

Documenting lessons learned helps the next phase, the next project, or even the next team hit the ground running — and ensures knowledge doesn't disappear due to turnover or time.

3️⃣ Applying This Beyond “Projects”

Renee and Julie remind listeners that “projects” aren’t just software implementations or multi-month changes.

• A compliance issue that took months to resolve? That's a project.

• Broker management improvements? A project.

• Process enhancements? Also a project.

And all of them deserve:
✨ Celebration
✨ Documentation
✨ Reflection

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FIO — Figure It Out (This Week’s Action)

Practice celebrating.
Identify something — big or small — that you, your team, or a colleague recently completed.

• Call it out

• Share it upward

• Tell the story

• Recognize the impact

• Spread it broadly so leadership sees your team’s value

Then hop over to the Trade Geeks Community and share your celebration moment!

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Keep the Conversation Going

Join the discussion inside the Trade Geeks community!
👉 What has your team recently accomplished?
👉 Did you “take a lap”?
👉 What did you learn along the way?

Continue the conversation here: Trade Geeks Community

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Credits

Hosts:
Renee Chiuchiarelli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-chiuchiarelli-lcb-ccs-8964a19/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast
Julie Parks
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-ann-parks/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast

Producer: Lalo Solorzano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalosolorzano/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast

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🎧 Subscribe & Follow

New TIPS episodes every Tuesday.

Presented by:
Global Training Center — education, consulting, workshops & compliance resources for trade professionals.
👉 https://www.globaltrainingcenter.com/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast

Connect With Us:

• Simply Trade Podcast on LinkedIn

• Global Training Center on LinkedIn

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• Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simply-trade/id1640329690?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast

• Trade Geeks Community — https://www.globaltrainingcenter.com/portal/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast

💬 Don’t forget to rate, review & share with your fellow trade geeks!

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Want to Be on the Show or Have Topic Suggestions?

📧 SimplyTrade@GlobalTrainingCenter.com
🐦 Twitter/X: @SimplyTradePod